OEDG Planning Grant- Enhancing Recruitment and Retention Through Cross-Disciplinary Support Systems, Incentives, and Culturally-Relevant Curricula

圣地亚哥州立大学正在利用这一规划赠款来探索圣地亚哥地区返回的退伍军人的需求，并确定有效的战略，让他们参与地球科学领域的教育和职业道路。圣地亚哥地区有几个军事基地，有大量退伍军人通过退伍军人法案接受高等教育。数据显示，与普通学生相比，退伍军人对攻读STEM学科学位感兴趣的比例更大，这使他们成为参与地球科学的良机。此外，退伍军人通常在族裔和文化背景上非常多样化，而且由于服兵役，残疾人比例很高。与传统学生不同，退伍军人通常已经完成了一些大学水平的课程，并获得了宝贵的经验，作为他们服役的一部分。因此，他们完成大学学位或从大学过渡到研究生课程的教育需求涉及到一条更加个性化的途径。这笔规划赠款将为学术和军事人员举办两次讲习班，讨论和考虑有效吸引归国退伍军人参与地球科学的问题、障碍和战略。该项目在工程项目中利用了SDSU的NSF资助的项目，专门针对归来的退伍军人。该项目服务于NSF和GEO扩大STEM学科参与的目标，并解决了总统的一项重要优先事项。

San Diego State University is using this planning grant award to explore the needs of returning Veterans in the San Diego region and identify effective strategies for engaging them in education and career pathways in the geosciences. The San Diego region is host to several military bases and there is a large population of Veterans who have access to higher education through the G.I. Bill. Data show that there is a greater proportion of Veterans, compared to the average student population, interested in pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines, making them a fertile opportunity for engagement in the geosciences. In addition, Veterans are generally very diverse in ethnic and cultural background, as well as having a high proportion of persons with disabilities, as a result of their military service. Unlike traditional students, Veterans often have completed some college level courses and have obtained valuable experiences as part of their service. As such, their educational needs for completion of college degrees, or transitioning from college into graduate programs, involve a more customized pathway. This planning grant will host two workshops for academic and military personnel to discuss and consider issues, barriers, and strategies for effectively engaging returning Veterans in the geosciences. The project leverages an NSF-funded program at SDSU within the Engineering programs that specifically targets returning Veterans. This project serves the NSF and GEO goal of broadening participation in STEM disciplines and addresses an important Presidential priority.